21: Cross-cup wine

The banquet hall of the City Lord's Mansion was filled with distinguished guests.

When Lin Chen and his party walked into the hall, all the noise vanished in an instant.

Countless gazes focused simultaneously on the youth dressed in luxurious black robes with gold patterns.

Awe, curiosity, jealousy, scrutiny...

Lin Chen turned a blind eye to all of this, his gaze immediately meeting that of the stunningly beautiful woman in the main seat, who was dressed in purple-gold python robes.

Luo Bingli!

The true queen of Qingyang City!

Her features were not as green as a young girl's, but rather like a perfectly ripe peach, filled with the ultimate allure of a mature woman.

Her Phoenix eyes held authority, her red lips were like fire, and every movement exuded a powerful aura of control and a deadly attraction.

This was a true "Queen," a woman capable of inciting a desire for conquest in any man!

Luo Bingli was also observing Lin Chen.

When she saw the youth's eyes, deep as the starry sky, and that composed and indifferent demeanor in the face of the entire audience's attention, a hint of admiration could not help but flash in her sharp Phoenix eyes.

"An interesting little fellow."

Not only is his strength rumored to be Heaven-Defying, but his Heart-Nature also far exceeds his peers.

"This must be the Saint of the Lin family who has shaken Qingyang, right? Truly, meeting in person is better than hearing of him; he is indeed a Dragon among men."

Luo Bingli slowly stood up, her voice carrying the magnetic quality unique to a mature woman, lazy yet full of authority.

She was not as overbearing as the rumors suggested; instead, she appeared quite enthusiastic.

"Someone, bring a seat for the Holy Son Lin!"

The seat the maid brought over was positioned perfectly, exactly at the head of all the guest seats, second only to her position as City Lord.

This placement was extremely clever.

It both demonstrated respect for the "Saint," Lin Chen, and did not break her rules as City Lord, while simultaneously pushing Lin Chen onto a "grill" under the eyes of everyone.

"Saint, please sit."

Luo Bingli raised her jade hand slightly, gesturing for him to be seated.

Lin Chen smiled slightly, not standing on ceremony, and walked straight to that position, sitting down calmly.

His act of sitting down was equivalent to accepting the City Lord's "first round of probing," acknowledging that he had the qualifications to sit on equal footing with all the old fogies present.

"Today is my birthday, and to have the Saint grace us with his presence is truly an honor."

Luo Bingli sat back down, picked up a glass of wine, and toasted Lin Chen from afar.

"I will toast the Saint first as a token of apology for the City Lord's Mansion failing to mediate the conflict between the Lin and Bai families in time some days ago."

As soon as she finished speaking, the hall fell silent instantly.

All the guests were sharp-witted; how could they not hear the hidden barbs within the City Lord's toast?

This appeared to be an apology, but in reality, it was standing from the height of an "order maintainer," criticizing Lin Chen without naming him for "acting overbearingly and breaking the rules," while also testing Lin Chen's attitude.

Accept it or not?

How to accept it?

Everyone's gaze was focused on Lin Chen.

Lin Chen, upon hearing this, showed no sign of being offended; instead, he revealed a sudden look of realization.

He also picked up his wine glass, toasted Luo Bingli from afar, and laughed loudly: "City Lord, your words are too polite."

He did not drink immediately, but continued unhurriedly: "The City Lord's Mansion upholds the laws of Qingyang and maintains the order of the entire city; this is 'public.' As for my Lin family cleaning up our own house and dealing with some shameless vassals who betrayed their marriage contracts, that is 'private.'"

"The Saint handles family matters with lightning speed, so naturally, I have no right to interfere."

Luo Bingli narrowed her Phoenix eyes and took the conversation further.

"However, that Prodigy of the Bai family is still in the Saint's residence after all... If this spreads, I fear it might damage the Saint's reputation for 'benevolence.'"

She attacked again, striking at Lin Chen from the moral high ground.

Lin Chen, hearing this, laughed heartily, his laughter clear and magnetic.

"City Lord, you only know one side of the story, not the other."

He put down his wine glass and spoke loudly to all the guests present: "Perhaps you all do not know, but Bai Ruoxue was not kept by me against her will."

"Rather, it was she herself who, after witnessing my supreme Divine Might, realized her errors, repented, and voluntarily stayed by my side as a slave and maid to atone for her past sins!"

"She once told me that being able to pour wine and carry shoes for a future master of the world like me is a blessing she cultivated over three lifetimes! I was even moved by such enlightenment!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole hall was shocked!

Is that even possible?!

Everyone was dumbfounded, then looked at the figure with her head lowered at the back of the group, their gazes becoming incredibly strange.

And Bai Ruoxue, being watched by everyone, trembled violently, her face instantly turning the color of pig liver, ashamed and angry, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into!

Shameless!

Too shameless!

How could this man, in front of all the powers of the city, twist black and white and spout such nonsense?!

But did she dare to refute?

She did not dare!

If she dared to say a single word of "no" right now, the next second, this devil would definitely torture her in a way a hundred times more terrifying!

Looking at Bai Ruoxue's expression of extreme humiliation, daring to be angry but not daring to speak, how could everyone present not know the truth?

But, so what?

These words of Lin Chen not only cleared himself of the image of being "overbearing and bullying" but instead molded him into a towering figure who was "magnanimous and capable of reforming the wayward!"

He used the most shameless lie to shut everyone's mouths!

"Oh? Is that so?"

Luo Bingli was also stunned, then looked at Lin Chen's handsome face as he spouted nonsense with a straight face; in her majestic Phoenix eyes, for the first time ever, a hint of suppressed laughter flashed!

Interesting!

Too interesting!

This little fellow not only had unfathomable strength, but his thick skin and tricky methods were the likes of which she had only seen in her life!

He did not choose to meet force with force, but instead used a nearly rogue-like method to deflect a thousand pounds with four ounces, not only easily resolving her strike but also turning the tables on her!

Brilliant!

Truly brilliant!

"If that is the case," Luo Bingli's eyes shifted, and she picked up her wine glass again with a charming smile, "then it was I who judged a gentleman with a petty heart. I will punish myself with this cup!"

After saying this, she actually drank the wine in her cup in one gulp, her posture incredibly unconstrained.

A hidden confrontation was resolved into nothingness between the two as they chatted and laughed.

But everyone knew that in this confrontation, while it seemed like a draw, in reality, the City Lord had lost by half a move!

Because not only had she failed to suppress Lin Chen, but she had also developed a strong interest in him instead!

A young man who was powerful, brilliant in his methods, and so "unconventional"—in this world where there are more women than men, for a woman like her standing at the pinnacle of power, his attraction was deadly!

Luo Bingli looked at Lin Chen, and the look of admiration in her charming Phoenix eyes could no longer be hidden.